The Stage Fright Busting Magic of Deep Breathing

Whether you’re stepping onto a stage for the first time or playing your 1000th show, everyone is susceptible to stage fright.

Your heart rate goes up, your muscles tense, you may even feel like you’re shaking. It can be hard or even impossible to sing when your body is in panic mode - especially because shortness of breath is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety!

Anxiety and stress can hinder your vocal practice, even off stage. Going into a practice session tense can interfere with your ability to sing; tension in your neck, chest, throat, and face can interfere with the tiny muscles that need to move freely for successful singing. Even knowing the importance of being relaxed and focused, it can be hard to leave your worries at the practice-room door.

What’s a nervous singer to do? Vocalists tend to be a high-strung bunch; so not only are you not alone in your struggles, you can also benefit from the tension-busting techniques perfected by the anxious singers who came before you. Our favorite de-stressing method requires no special equipment or skills and you can do it any time, anywhere: deep breathing.

Amazingly, something as seemingly simple as deep breathing is recommended by medical experts around the world. Even the U.S. Marine Corps encourages stressed enlistees and veterans to use breathing techniques to manage tension.

Here’s how it works: First, it’s important to establish that emotions are physical experiences. Multiple systems in your body receive signals from your brain to react to feelings like stress, anger, sadness, or joy. When we become very nervous or stressed, our brain tells our lungs to breath faster, leading to that short-of-breath feeling anyone who’s experienced an anxiety or panic attack is familiar with. However, these signals aren’t a one-way system. When you take control of your breathing, you send signals to your brain telling it to exit fight-or-flight mode. Your brain in turn sends signals to your other body systems, leading to lowered blood pressure and relaxed muscles.

This biological feedback loop has been confirmed by Stanford University scientists who managed to find the exact neurons involved in the process. Psychologists and physicians have already been using breathing techniques for decades as a form of complementary medicine to help nervous patients; and cultures that practice meditation hacked the system millennia ago!

The key to making deep breathing work for you is to make sure you’re practicing diaphragmatic breathing, i.e.: breaths that come from your diaphragm rather than your chest. Shallow breaths that make your chest and shoulders rise don’t get much oxygen into your lungs nor much CO2 out of your bloodstream, and can actually accentuate feelings of anxiety. Deep belly breaths (much like those you’ve been working on as a singer) are the most effective way to break the anxiety cycle.

While there are several different techniques for deep breathing, they all boil down to this: breathe deeply into your diaphragm and exhale slowly through your mouth. The Marine Corps recommends a technique called 4-7-8 breathing. Inhale through your nose for a mental count of four, hold the breath for a count of seven, and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. The Johns Hopkins recommended method is less specific: place one hand on your chest and one on your belly so that you can feel your belly move and make sure your chest isn’t rising. Breathe in slowly, counting mentally if you want, then breathe out slowly.

The key to making deep breathing work for you is to make sure you’re practicing diaphragmatic breathing, i.e.: breaths that come from your diaphragm rather than your chest.

Counting is optional, but it can help you keep your breathing slow. Anxiety can cause us to speed up many of our activities without realizing it, so it’s helpful to make yourself aware of how fast you’re actually breathing. Most deep breathing techniques recommend inhaling through your nose, but you can always inhale through your mouth if you find it difficult to breathe through your nose.

Our favorite breathing techniques is demonstrated in the video at he bottom of this article. Breathe in for a count of three and out for a count of six. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. Remember to count slowly - don’t let your anxiety set the pace!

Below this article, we’ve included our sources and links to several deep breathing practices you can try for yourself. Whether you’re battling stage fright or just general anxiety, deep breathing is a great stress management practice to try. If you want a deeper dive into anxiety management, check out Zelda’s Relax and Center Guided Visualization over on ZeldaSheldon.com. The audio guide will walk you through a short visualization to help reduce tension and center.

Book a Lesson Today

Working with a vocal instructor is a great way to build your confidence. Contact us to set up a lesson with Zelda and tackle your stage fright head-on. Take a deep breath, center, and love your voice!

Set up a lesson with Zelda to experience the power of deep breathing for yourself!

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